Qinghai

TOUR:

Xining – Huzu beishan - Koko Nor Lake - Rubber Hill – Chaka – Gonghe – Er La Pass – Nanqian – Qumalai– Golmud   Xining

 

BEST TIME:

July – September

  

GROUP SIZE:

1-12 persons

 

TOUR PRICE:

Please contact us for the latest tour price.


ITINERARY


Day 1 Xining

Arrive Xining, and overnight.

 

Day 2 Xining – Huzu beishan – Xining

Full day birding in Huzu beishan to search Gansu Leaf Warbler, Crested Tit-Warbler, Blue Eared-Pheasant, Chinese Hazel Grouse, Przevalski’s and Chinese Nuthatch. And back to Xining for overnight.

Chinese Hazel Grouse 

Blue Eared Pheasant © Zhang Hao


Day 3 Xining – Koko Nor Lake – Heimahe

Early morning leave Xining to Koko Nor Lake. Black-necked Crane, Ground Tit, Mongolian Lark, Small Snowfinch, Hume's Short-toed Lark, Tibetan Lark, Pallas's Gull, Pine Bunting, Black-necked Grebe and other waterfowls are our targets. Overnight at Heimahe Town, where is near the lake side.

Small Snowfinch

Black-necked Crane


Day 4 Heimahe – Rubber Hill – Chaka

We’ll spend more than half day at Rubber Hill to search Pink-tailed Bunting, Tibetan Partridge, Lammergeier, White-winged Redstart, Ala Shan Redstart, Chinese Beautiful and Pink-rumped Rosefinch, snowfinches and accentors etc.. Then 1 hour drive to Chaka to looking for Pallas’s Sangrouse, Mongolian Ground-Jay, Blanford's Snowfinch, Desert Finch and Mongolian Finch, Daurian Partridge etc. Overnight in Chaka.

Pink-tailed Bunting

Mongolian Ground-Jay


Day 5 Chaka – Gonghe

We leave early to another side of mountain to findAla Shan Redstart, Desert Finch and Mongolian Finch and Daurian Partridge. We have another chance to exploring the desert area around Chaka in the afternoon, before we move to Gonghe. Overnight in Gonghe.

Ala Shan Redstart

Tibetan Partridge


Day 6 Gonghe

We’ll spend the whole day to visit outside the city in search of Pale Rosefinch, Rusty-necklaced Partridge, Desert Finch and Mongolian Finch, Lesser Whitethroat , Pine Bunting, Common Pheasant, Meadow Bunting etc. Overnight in Gonghe.

Rusty-necklaced Partridge

Pale Rosefinch


Day 7 Gonghe – Erla Pass – Maduo

Today we’ll drive to Erla Pass in the early morning, where we’ll find Tibetan Rosefinch, Tibetan Snowcock, White-winged Redstart, Brandt’s Mountain Finch. If lucky, we maybe find Tibetan Sandgrouse on the top of the summit. Overnight in Maduo.

Lammergeier

Tibetan Rosefinch © Li Zhenzhong


Henri’s Snowfinch

Horned Lark


Day 8 Maduo  – Nangqian

We’ll spend the whole day driving to Yushu, and we will stop several places for birding. We can expect to see many Upland Buzzards and Sakers, Black-necked Cranes, kiang and Tibetan Gazelles along this grasslands. Overnight in Nangqian.

Saker Falcon

Tibetan Fox


Day 9 Nanqian

We’ll spend the whole day in Kanda Gorge, where we search Tibetan Bunting. Other target birds are Tibetan Partridge, Yellow-billed Chough, Tibetan Snowcock, Grandala, White-tailed Rubythroat, Pink-tailed Rosefinch, Buff-throated Monal Partridge, White Eared-Pheasant etc.

 

Day 10 Nanqian

We’ll spend another whole day in Baizha Forest, where we will look for Buff-throated Monal Partridge, Giant Laughingthrush, Ibisbil, Crested Tit-Warbler, White Eared-Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Tibetan Babax etc. Overnight in Nanqian.

Tibetan Bunting

Tibetan Babax


White Eared-Pheasant © Du Qin

Crested Tit Warbler


Day 11 Nanqian  – Qumalai

Today is a travel day as we make our way across the plateau for an overnight stay in Qumalai.

 

Day 12 Qumalai

We continue across the plateau today to join with the main Qinghai-Tibet highway at Budongquan. Here we can stop to look again for Tibetan Sandgrouse at another site if we haven’t already seen them at Er La. Mammals are conspicuous along this road, and along with large numbers of Kiang and Tibetan Gazelle we hope to encounter small groups of Tibetan Antelope along with an outside possibility of wild Yak.

Night in Golmud.

Day 13 Golmud  – Xining
Today is a travel day as we make our way across the plateau for an overnight stay in Xining.
 
Day 14 Xining

Departures from Yushu.

Tour End.